Balanced-lever mechanism for automatic fluid-control systems



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 23, 1928 A. E. WEINGARTNER BALANCED LEVER MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC FLUID CONTROL SYSTEMS June 1 l, 1929.

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J1me 1929- A. E. WEINGARTNER BALANCED LEVER MECHANISM FOB AUTOMATIC FLUID CONTROL SYSTEMS Filed March 25 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet June 11, 1929...

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Patented June 11, 1929. v

1,717,291; UNITED STATES- PATENT'OFFICE.

ANTHONY E. V TEINGARTNER, OF BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO AMER- IOAN ENGINEERING COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPO- RATION OI! PENNSYLVANIA.

BALANCED-LEVER MECHANISM FOR AITTOMATIG FLUID-CONTROL SYSTEMS.

Application filed March 23, 1928. SeriaI No. 264,215;

My inve tion relates to automatic fluid controlgsystems such as that shown and described in a co-pending application of Maxwell Alpern, Serial No. 262,935, filed Mar. 19,

As set forth in the said co-pending application, such a system is applicable to a variety of forms of utility and for the purpose of v illustration I have chosen a furnace provided 10 with a stoker of the under-feed type, generally known as the Taylor stoker, in which the coal is fed to the bed of the fire by suitable rams and pushers, and air under pressure is' supplied, for the purpose of aiding combustion, through a series of tuyeres arranged in banks and alternating with the rams and pushers which f ed the coal to the furnace. The air is supplied by a suitable b lower to a chamber underlying the pushers and m the tuyeres, which is commonly designated as the.

wind-box, the air passing from the wind-box through suitable apertures in the tuyeres, and combining with the gases emanating from the heated coal for the purpose of properly effecting combustion.

In the operation ofthis type ofstoker, there are occurrences when the coal feeding apparatus fails to uniformly cover the adjacent tuyeres with a desirable amount of coal,

resulting in the fire burning through at that particular starved point, permitting an excessive rush of air through the tuyere apertures and causing an extremely abnormal temperahire to develop at, and adjacent to, that particular portion of the fire bed, with a conseq'uent burning out of the tuyere units.

7 In the said co-pending application, a system is described for automatically controlling the amount of air supplied to all parts of the fire bed, by which the supply of air would be automatically reduced at any one or a number ofparticular spots, wherein the fire has a tendency to burn through the fuel bed, as above described. Should the fire burn through at any articular spot, or number of spots, the supp y of air from the wind-box is immediately and automatically reduced,

thereby maintaining the temperature at and adjacent the particular spot in the fire below the danger point, until such time as a fresh supply of coal is placed over the spot which has burned through, whereupon the air supply will again be increasedto normal.

In the system above mentioned, mechanism is provided for effecting an increase in the supply of air to the adjacent portions of the fire surrounding the spot which has burned through with a view of increasing combustion at these points which have not burned .through a furnace embodying the features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is asectional plan view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and illustrating the preferred arrangement of balanced levers forming the subject of my invention;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation taken along the line33 of F ig. 2, illustrating the manner in which the main lever is supported;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation taken along the line 44 of Fig. 2, illustrating the method of pivotally attaching the supplementary levers to the main lever;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section-plan view illustrating the method of pivotal ly attaching the supplementary levers to the motor elements of the control system;

Figs. 6 to 10 inclusive illustrate various combinations ofbalanced' levers adapt-able to furnaces having different numbers of tuyere units in the tuyere banks;

M Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view illustrating an arrangement of levers whereby the en-- tire fire bed may be affected by the operation of any one single control unit; and

Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic View of an alternate system of levers for interconnecting the operating elements of the control units in any one tuyre bank. x

The furnace selected for the purpose of illustrating my invention comprises a front wall and side walls, defining the fire bed space within which is suitably mounted a series of a tuyere banks, the individual banks alternating with coal feedingunits or retorts. Each of the tuyere banks comprises a pair of side walls suitably mounted in the furnace, and each bank comprising a series of tuyere units of the usual construction and comprising air outlets which communicate with'an air passage formed within the tuyere units.

' The air passage in the tuyere bank is divided into sub-chambers by means of partitions suitably formed in or attached to the tuyere units of the desiredpoints. Each of the air chambers communicates with the wind box of the furnace through and by means of an air nozzle, and suitable controlling mechanism is provided and contained in an air Y control box for each nozzle as illustrated in detail in the said copending application.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, each tuyere bank 4 includes side-plates 6 and tuyere units 7, 7, each being provided with apertures 8, 8 from which the air passes into the fuel bed which overlies the tuyeres. A series of air control boxes, as illustrated at 27 27 are provided between the side plates 6, 6. The control boxes 27 extend between each of the air nozzles and the wind-box 12 of the furnace, by means of which the amount of air passing from the wind-box to the tuyeres may be accurately and automatically controlled.

The control boxes 27 27 of the series for each tuyere bank 4 are suitably mounted upon a pair of longitudinally extending supporting beams 28,28 which are connected at'their op- ?posite ends'by means of transverse members 29 and 30, Extending between and suitably secured to the side plates 6, 6 of each tuyere bank is a pair of transverse supporting members 31- and 32. The transverse member 29 is horizontally pivoted to the transverse member 31, and the transverse member 30 is vertically pivoted to the transverse member 32 permitting relative movement between the control box, and the air nozzle with which it is associated. On furnaces employing the above described construction, warping or misalignment of the side plates 6 will not affect the alignment or operation of any of the movable elements carried by the frame which comprises the side beams 28, 28 and the transverse connecting members 29 and 30, due tothe fact that the frame is supported at but two points on the side plates.

Each control box comprises side and end walls, and is divided into an upper or damper chamber and a lower or motor chamber,'a throat being formed between the upper and lower chambers. is a pair of motor blades 43, 43 which. are pivoted in each of the end walls of the chamber. The blades 43, 43 of each pair are connected in a manner to provide for synchronous operation of the blades of each pair.

In the upper or damper chamber is provided a pair of balanced dampers pivoted in each of the end walls of the chamber.

' Each damper is operatively connected to the 1 motor blade 43 underlying the'particular damper with which it cooperates.

Under normal operating conditions and Within the lower chamber with the proper amount of fuel overlyingthe tuyere units 7, uniformly throughout the bed of the fire, the elements of each of the control boxes 27 occupy positions whereina uniform amount of air passes from the wind-box 12 through the motor chamber between the motor blades '43, 43, the throat between the upper and lower chambers,.between the dampers in the damper chamber, through the air nozzle, into the air chamber of the tuyere units, thence. through the openings 8 in the tuyere units 7 and through the body of fuel is bed, at which time the increased flow of air begins, the damper mechanism automatically operating toreduce the flow of air to this particular spot in the fire bed, such operation being efiected in the following manner Between the side walls and each -motor blade a supplemental chamber is formed.

Under normal operating conditions, the air pressure in the motor chamber and the two supplemental chambers is substantially uniform, therefore, the motor blades 43, 43 as sume a neutral position, and the dampers being directly connected to the motor blades likewise assume a neutral position. When a spot in the fire bed burns through. the above mentioned increased flow of air begins between the wind-box and the tuyere air chamher and the throat in the control box 27, causing the air to be drawn from each of the supplemental chambers, thereby reducing the air pressure therein to such an extent that the normal air pressure at the opposite side of each of the blades causes the said blades to turn on their'pivotes, thereby causing the dampers to turn on their pivots, and the passage of air from the damper chamber to the air nozzle to be effectively reduced.

When the flow of air to any one of the nozzles is reduced, it is desirable to increase the flow of air to the remaining nozzles of the particular tuyere bank to which said nozzle belongs, and for this purpose I have provided means whereby the checking of one nozzle of the series contained in the tuyere bank will automatically increase the How of air to the remaining nozzles thereof by means of the following mechanism.

Upon references to Fig. 2, it will be noted that one of the motor blades 43, of each pair, is operatively connected by means of a link 60 to one end of a lever 61. Each of the levers 61 is pivoted intermediate its ends, at a point 62, to one end of a main lever 63 which in turn is pivoted intermediate its ends, at a point 64,

.'- to one of the supporting beams 28.

For the purpose of illustration, I have designated the control units 27 in Fig. 2 as a, b, and d. Should the fire burn out in the spot overlying the unit 5 with a consequent operatio'nof the motor blades 43 thereof, as described above, the outward movement of the motor blades 43 would have a tendency to rock the lever 61, andthereby cause the motor blades of the control unit a to move toward each other. It will be understood that the flow of air through the unit a, c and (i would be substantially uniform and a substantially uniform pressure upon the blades 43 thereof would obtain. Therefore, the outward i -movement of the blades of the unit I) would cause the blades of the units a, c and d to move toward each other a substantially equal distance, one with respect to the other, by means of the lever 61 being turned on its pivot 62, the blades 43 of the unit a establishing a resistance to the inward movement of the end of the lever 61 connected thereto and this established resistance would cause the lever 63 to turn on its pivot 64 thereby causing the pivot 62 of the lever' 61, lying intermediate the units 0 and d, to move inward and by means of the lever 61 and the links 60, the pair of blades 43 in each of the units 0 and d would move toward each other, a distance equal to the movement of the blades of the unit a,

whereby the dampers of each of the units a, c and d would be caused to turn on their pivots, and thereby increase the distance intermediatetheir upper e dges, permitting an increased flow of air from the respective damper chambers to the nozzle communicating therewith.

The operation described relative to the burning out of the fire in that section of the fire bed controlled by the unit I) would be effective in a similar manner'upon the remaining units of the series regardless of which one of the units should become operable in event of the fire burning through in the section of the fire bed controlled by that particular unit.

It will be understood that the balancing of the volume of air to each and every one of the units is directly controlled by the bed of fuel overlying the particular section of the fire bed which that particular unit communicates with, and should the fuel bed overlying each of the units-vary with respect to the other units the amount of air passin to that particular section of the fire wou ld vary in accordance therewith.

I In Figure 11, I have illustrated diagram-' crease in the an flow through any one control box thereof will be automatically checked and the flow in the remainder" of the boxes will be increased to burn the fire up at the points not burned through. As illustrated. in said figure, the motor blades 43 of eachpair of adjacent control boxes are connected to the lever 61in the same manner as illustrated in Figure 5. One lever 61 of the side tuyere bank is pivoted to a lever at 62, the lever 75 being pivotedat 76 to one end of the main balance lever 63, pivoted at 64 to. the beam 28 in the manner above noted. The opposite end of the lever 75 is connected ,by a link 77 to a stationary pivot 78. The

other lever 61 of the side tuyerebank is connected in the manner above noted with the any movement of o e of the motor blades will Y control boxes of the several tuyere banks,

affect the position of each of the other blades throughout the stoker and subsequently the damper which it controls with a consequent adjustment of the amount of air pa ssing through that particular control box.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, each of the main balance levers comprises a central pivot hub 35, having integrally formed therewith and at each side thereof an arm, comprising an upper and lower rail 36 and 37 respectively, w ich are connected at their outer ends by a transversely'extending integrally formed rectangular pivot yoke 38 for receiving the .pivot element 62 of the arm 61, attached respective- 1y to each end of the main lever 63. The rails 36 and 37 are integrally connected intermediate the hub 35 and each yoke 38 by means of a ribbed web 39 provided with open portions 40, 41 and 42 for the purpose of reducing the weight of the lever, the opening 40 providing clearance for the lever 61,it being noted that the pivots.62, 64 and 62 are in true alignment with each other.

. The ivot 64 for the lever 63 comprises a pair of ardened steel plugs 44, 44 adapted to apertures 45, 45 formed in the opposite ends of the hub 35. Each center plug is conically bored at its outer end to receive a correspondingly shaped point of an adjustable aligning pivot screw 46 which is adapted to a threaded opening, one in. each of a pair of arms 47, 47. The arms 47, 47 are integrally connected to a plate 48 secured by a bolt 49 to the rear face of the web of one of the beams 28 and extend beond the outer edges of the flanges of said eam as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Screws 5O,

50 are provided in the arms 47,47 and engage the respective flanges of the beams 28, 'for' maintaining the pivot element 64 in position.

Each of the levers 61 is composed, in the 1 present instance, of a fiat plate which has pivot bearings 51, 51 rigidly secured thereto on its opposite faces. Each pivot bearing is provided with a conical aperture 52 adapted to receive the conical end of a pivotscrew 53, mounted one in each of the top and bottom portions of the pivot yoke 38, on each end of the main lever 63.

The opposite ends of each lever 61 are each connected by means ofan adjustable link 60 to one of the motor blades 43 in each control box 27. Each link 60 comprises a stem 80having left hand threads and pivotally mounted in an aperture 81 in the lever 61 and a second stem 82 having right hand threads and having a ball 83 secured to one of its ends. The ball 83 is confined in an opening 84 in the motor blade 43 by means of a concaved plate 85 on one side thereof and a concaved plate 86 on the other side thereof as shown in Fig. 5. The

plate 86 is provided with an opening. 87 through which the stem 82 projects.

Rivets 88, or other suitable retaining means, pass through the plates 48, 85 and 86, and thereby maintain these elements in correct position to form a universal socket for the ball end 83 ofthe link 60. J A sleeve 89 havin right and left hand 1nternal threads whic engage the respective threads on the stems 80 and 81, forms means whereby the aggregate length ofthe link 60 may be varied and a. lock nut 90 is mounted on the stem 82 and adapted to engage the sleeve 89, when the length of the link 60 is finally determined.

by are employed.

Figs. 6 to 10 inclusive illustrate methods of connecting the motor blades of tuyere banks having varied numbers ofcontrol boxes, for example with the levers shown in Fig. 6. only two control boxes are-employed; in Fig. 7,

three; in Fig. 8, four; in Fig. 9, five; and in -Fig. 10, six- In either instance, levers of the same general construction as above described In Fig. 7, which illustrates but three box connections, the link 60of one of the boxes is connnected directly to one end of a slightly modified form of intermediate lever-91 and to 1 the opposite end of this lever is pivoted the usual supplementary lever 61.. In Fig. 10, the construction illustrated in Fig. 7 is duplicated and the pair of intermediate levers 91, 91 therein shown are pivoted tothe opposite ends of a main lever 63.

In Fig. 12 I have illustrated a series of con- 43, so connected, will move in unison toward or away from each other a like distancewhen one of the blades of a pair is moved.

One of the blades 43 ofeachpair is pivotally connected at 83 to one end of a link 60, the opposite end of each link 60 being connected at 81 to and intermediate the opposite ends of a floating lever 95. Each end of each of the levers 95 of the controlunits b, c, (l, e and f is connected by a link 96 to the adjacent end of the lever 95 0f adjacent con trol units, and the ends 95 and 95 of the units a and g respectively are connected by a link 96 and 96 respectively to a fixed pivot ing control units will be moved away from.

each other, or vice Versa, to an extent permitted by the resistance prevailing in the respective units, the sum of the movements of the blades in one direction being equal to the sum of the movements of the blades moving in the opposite direction. If the resistance in any of the units is so strong that movement of the blades 43 therein is not permitted the floating levers connected to the respective immovable blades merely pivot on their re-" spective fulcrums 81 and thereby pass the movement on to the next adjacent unit.

The balancing operation described above is obtained by each of the combinations illustrated with equal effectiveness.

Having described one general form of lever apparatusforcarrying out the principles of my invention, various other equivalents thereto will obviously occur to those familiar with the art, therefore, only such limitations should be placed on the scope of the invention as are prescribed in the appended claims or dictated by the prior art of record.

I claim:

' 1. In an automatic fluid control system comprising a series of control units, each control url-it being provided with an operating' element therefor, a system of balanced levers for interconnecting the individual operating elements of the series, whereby relative movement of any 'ofsaid operating elements is transmitted in reverse order to the other operatin g elements of the series.

-2.In an automatic fluid control system comprising a series of control units, each control unit being provided wlth an operating element therefor, a prlmary balanceleveroperatively connected to each control unit 0pcrating element of a pair of adjacent control units; and a pivot element for each primary balance lever equidistantly located from and intermediate the opposite: ends of said lever.

3. In an automatic fluid control system comprising a series of control units, each control unit bein provided with an operating pivot intermediate its ends; and a pivot element for each primary balance lever adjacent each end of said main balance lever.

4. In an automatic fluid control system comprising a series of control units, each control unit being provided with an o crating element therefor; a primary balance ever operatively connecting the control unit operat' ing elements of one pair of control units; and a pivoted balance lever, pivotally connected at one of its ends to sand primary balance lever and having its opposite end connected to the operating element of each of the remaining control units of the series.

5. In an automatic fluid control system comprising a series of control units, eachcontrol unit being provided with an operating element therefor; a primary lever operatively connecting the control unit operating elements of one adjacent pair of control units; aprimary lever operatively connecting the control unit operating elements of a second 7 pair of control units; an intermediate lever pivotally connected at one of its ends to the primary lever of said second pair of control 3 units and at its opposite end to the operating element of each remaining control unit of the series; a main lever having a relatively fixed pivot intermediate its endsand being pivotally connected adjacent its respective ends to the primary lever of the said first pair of control units and the said intermediate lever.

v ,6. In an automatic fluid control system" comprising a series of control units, each control unit being provided with an operating ,element therefor a p'rimary lever-operatively connecting the control unit operating elements of one adjacent pair of control units;

a primary lever operatively connecting the control unit operating elements of a second pair of control units; intermediate levers,

. each of which is connected at one of its ends to one of said primary levers and at its opposite end to an individual control unit op- 55 erating element; and a main balance-lever .nectin link for connecting the control unit operating elementswith the respective levers of the system, comprising a stem pivotally connected tosaid lever and having a threaded end; a second stem having an end threaded opposite to the threads. of said first'stem; a sleeve having threads adapted to co-operate with the different threads of-saidlstems; a lock nut on one of said stems and engaging said sleeve; and a universal coupling, by which the said second stem is operatively connected to the said cpntrol'unit operating ele- I,

ment.

8. In an automatic fluid control system comprising a series of control units, each 80 control unit being provided with an operating element therefor, a system of balanced levers for interconnecting the individual operatin elements of the series comprising primary evers, links operatively connected to said operating elements, and levers for interconnecting said primar levers; each primary lever consisting of a at plate provided, adjacent its opposite ends with a pivotal connection. for one of said links; and a control pivot bearing at the centre of said primary lever intermediate said link pivots.

9. In an automatic fluid control system comprising a series of control units, each control unit being provided with an operating element therefor, a system of balanced levers for interconnecting the individual operating elements of the series comprising primary levers, pivot elements for said primary levers; links, connecting said primary levers with said control unit operating elements; main levers each having a central hub; arms extending from said hub; pivot yokes on said armsv for receiving the pivot elements of said primary levers; and pivot hearings in said central hub. f

10. In an automatic fluid'control systemcomprising a series of control units, each control unit being provided with an operating element therefor, a system of balanced levers for interconnecting the individual operating elements of the-series; a supporting frame for said control units and said lever system; primary levers; links connecting said primary levers and said operating elements; pivot elements for said primary levers; a main lever having a central hub; conical ivot hearings in said hub; arms on said hu pivot yokes on said arms for receiving the-pivot elements 'ofsaid primary levers; a pivotlate on said pivoted intermediate its ends to a relatively frame; arms on' said pivot p ate; conical fixed element and at each of its respective ends to one of said intermediate levers at a point intermediate the ends thereof.

60 7. In an automatic fluid control system comprising a series of control units, each control unit being provided with an operating.

element therefor, a system of balanced levers for interconnecting the individual 0 crating 55 elements of the series; an adjusta le con-' operatively conncected to each control unit operating element of a pair of adjacent control units; and a pivot element for eachprimary balance lever equidistantly located from and intermediate the opposite ends of said lever, said primary lever pivot and said 7 operating element pivots being aligned with elements of the series including primary levers, and a main lever; a stationary pivotelement for said main lever; a pivot element adjacent each end of said main lever for said primary levers, said main lever pivot element and said primary lever pivot elements being in alignment. with each otherand arranged in a single plane passing longitudinally through the pivotal centre of each o said pivot elements.

13. In' an automatic fluid control system comprising a series of control units, each control unit being provided with an operating element therefor, a system of balanced levers for interconnecting the individual operating elements of the series including primary levers; a main lever; intermediate levers;

' and connecting links attached to said operatin elements; a stationary pivot element for said main lever; a pivot eleinent adjacent each end of said main lever for one of said intermediate levers, said main lever pivot element and said intermediate lever ,pivot ele-.

,each of said pivot elements, a pivot element I on one end of each intermediatelever for one of said primary levers; a pivot element at the opposite end of said intermediate lever for one of said. connecting links, 'said primary lever pivot element, said connecting link pivot element and the pivot element for said intermediate lever being aligned with each other and arranged in a single plane extending longitudinally through the pivotal centre ofsaid pivot elements. I V

14. In an automatic fluid control system comprising a series of control units, each control unit being provided with an operating element therefor, a system of balanced levers for interconnecting the individual operating elements of the series; a main lever; a ivotal centre for said lever extending vertically at right angles to the longitudinal horizontally extending centre line thereof; primary levers on said main lever; a pivotal centre for each of said primary levers extending vertically at right angles to the longitudinal horizontally extending centre line thereof, the longitudinal centre lines of the main lever and the primary levers thereon coinciding in a single horizontal plane and the pivotal centres of'the said primary levers and main-lever being aligned with each other and arranged in a single vertical plane extending through each of said pivotal 1 centres.

- ANTHONY E. wnmeanrunn, 

